Douglas Lumish > Latham & Watkins LLP > Silicon Valley, United States > Lawyer Profile

Global chair of Latham & Watkins LLP‘s IP litigation practice, San Diego-based Jennifer Barry, leads the firm’s trade secret group alongside global vice chairs, being the ‘razor-sharp’ New York-based Tony Sammi and Austin-based Jeff Homrig. Sammi, who is regarded by clients as ‘the best’ led a standout matter for the team, being a trial victory in defense of Universal Alloy Corporation in an alleged misappropriation litigation case where $260m was at stake. The ‘very dedicated team that leaves nothing to chance’ has a strong reputation for its abilities handling such big-ticket matters for its industry spanning roster of clients. Another noteworthy example of its complex caseload is its trial victory for Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc and Scilex Pharmaceuticals Inc. in a suit filed against the former President of the company. Restrictive covenant breaches, trade secret misappropriation, data theft and breaches of fiduciary duties are areas of expertise across the practice. Douglas Lumish, who works from the firm’s San Francisco office is vastly experienced representing clients at trial, Illinois’ Matthew Walch is also a name to note, with familiarity handling interlocutory injunctive relief proceedings, in particular, as is New York-based counsel Rachel Blitzer who is highlighted as being ‘an excellent and dedicated lawyer’.

The intellectual property litigation practice at Latham & Watkins LLP is an ‘excellent team with highly creative thinkers’ who represent both tech and life sciences clients in patent disputes across all key avenues in the country, including in proceedings at the International Trade Commission as well as the Patent Trial and Appeal Board. Jeff Homrig in Austin is well-versed in patent infringement and trade secret cases and co-heads the group with Tony Sammi, who is based in New York, and Jennifer Barry, who practices from San Diego. In Washington DC, the group features Michael Morin, who is an expert in life sciences patent disputes and works with clients such as Johnson & Johnson and Regeneron, trial lawyer and patents expert Maximilian Grant, and IP disputes specialist Matthew Moore, who defends major industry players and brands against claims of patent infringement. Also in DC, Gabriel Bell is an expert appellate attorney in the intellectual property space. Key practitioners in the Bay Area group include trial lawyer Douglas Lumish, who represents clients in a wide range of cases relating to IP and tech, skillful IP litigator Patricia Young, and Greg Sobolski, who litigates patent and trade secret matters in a diverse range of industries.

Latham & Watkins LLP is highly active at the ITC and has broad expertise in matters relating to Section 337 proceedings. The group represents clients from a variety of industries and serves as key port of call for the likes of Comcast, The Overhead Door Corporation and Netgear. The practice is co-led from Washington DC by Bert Reiser, a seasoned trial lawyer with ‘an exceptional reputation in ITC litigation‘, and IP and trade strategist Jamie Underwood, who is an expert in Section 337 actions. The group also includes DC-based IP specialist Maximilian Grant, who represents industry giants like Philip Morris International and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company in proceedings the ITC, as well as Douglas Lumish in Silicon Valley, who handles a broad range of patent infringement claims. Also in Washington DC, Michael David is ‘very knowledgeable about case law‘ and is another key contact in the firm’s ITC practice group.